Vibrating head whipstock



Nov. 23, 1943. u. E. BRANTLY VIBRATING HEAD WHIPSTOCK Filed Nov, 12, 1940 .Z/rwzrfor Jar/011390271 Y W 7% E ia/C NOV- - UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE vmaa'rmonsanwms'roox John E. Brantlr, Pasad Calm, alelgnor to rilling and Explorati i rcompany, Ina, Lon

Calif acorporatlonoi' Delaware Application November 12, 194., Serial No. 365,142

Clalms. (or. sis-1.5).

This invention relates generally to whipstocks for use in oil well drilling, and has for its primary object to provide improvements therein intended to facilitate removal of the tool in the event it becomes retained in the formation or otherwise ledged in the well,

The ordinary whipstock comprises an elongated body having an angular bit deflecting surface and a tubular head through which the drill pipe extends. While being lowered into or removed from the well, the whipstock is supported by a drill bit or tool shoulder againstwhich the head of the whipstock bears. One of my principal objects is to providein coniunction with the tubular head and the portion of the drill string passing therethrough, a device adapted to impart upwardly directed jarring or vibrating blows against the whipstock itself to cause its displacement from lodged condition in the well. Preferably, I employ a type of vibrating device capable of jarring upwardly against the whipstock while a sustained pull is exerted on the drill pipe, thus gaining the advantages of simultaneous pull and impact against the whipstock.

More specifically, the invention contemplates the provision of a vibrating device adapted to strike directly against the under-surface of the tubular head of the whipstock. and comprising a complementary striking element carried by a sub on the drill string and positioned'directly beneath the whipstock head. Preferably the striking element is mounted for vertical movement on the sub, and is spring-actuated to impart a rapid succession of jarring blows as a result of continued rotation of the drill 'pipe from the ground surface;

It will be understood that the described vibrating device may be employed in conjunction with any suitable type or form of whipstock. In some instances it may be desirable to use the vibrating device with a collapsible whipstock of the form more specifically dealt with in my copending application on Collapsible whipstock, Ser. No. 365,141 filed on even date herewith, which form is rendered removable from lodged condition by relative movement of its parts caused by upward pull on the drill pipe.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinalsectional view of the whipstock with the sub-carried partsofthe vibrating device appearing in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a'fragmentary enlargement of the whipstock head;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the head taken from line 3 -3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view or the parts of the vibrating device carried by the drilling string or sub;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4

' and e Fig.- 6 is a fragmentary view illustrating a variational form of irregular head surface.

The whipstock, generally indicated at i0, is

shown typically to comprise an elongated body H adapted to be supported'on the lower portion of the drill string l2 extending through the tubular head II of the whipstock, while the latter is being lowered and raised in the well. The whipno further explanation.

The invention is primarily concerned with the upwardly jarring or vibrating device. generally indicated at l6, by means of which it is made possible to impart directly against the whipstock itself, a rapid succession of upwardly-directed blows or vibrations while a sustained pull is exerted .on the drill pipe II, to withdraw the whipstock in the event it becomes lodged in the well. The vibrating device It 1 comprises a, striking member II which may take the form of a sleeve movable vertically on the drill string H. or more specifically. on a sub l8 interconnecting the drill bit I. with pipe coupling l9. Striking member II has a counter-bore 20 containing a strong or stiff coil spring 2| confined between the head Ila of the striking member and an annular shoulder 22 on the sub. The lower portion of the striking member extends downwardly about the enlarged diameter portion 23 of the sub to prevent open access of circulating mud and solids to the counter-bore chamber 24 containing the spring. Any suitable "means may be provided for preventing rotation of. sleeve I! on sub III, as by forming in the sleeve, slots or ways 25, see Fig. '5, which receive splines 26 on the outer surface of the sub portion 23.

The top surface 21 of the striking member head l'la. and the under surface 28 of the whipstock head II. have suitable interfitting irregularities which cause the striking element l1. upon rotation of the drill string within the whipstock head. to become displaced downwardly against the resistance of spring 2|, and then released to impact upwardly against the head, repeatedly and at a rate in accordance with the rate of drill string rotation. Preferably the irregularities formed on the surfaces 21 and 28 comprise a circular series of interfitting and uniformly spaced projections 30 having rounded ends 3011 and shaped, as illustrated in Fig. 1, so that normally the projections on the two surfaces 21 and 28 will interfit, with the ends of the projections on one surface engaging the bases of the recesses on the complimentary surface.

Instead of forming surfaces 21 and 28 with curved contour projections as illustrated, the projections may be shaped differently, as in Fig. 6, to give sharper vibratory blows against the whipstock by release of the striking element from the slip-off points of angularly formed teeth. Here the projections on both the striking element and the whipstock head may-consist of circular arrangements of toothed projections 32 having substantially vertical shoulders 33 along which the teeth on the striking element move at the point of release.

The tool assembly is lowered in the well with the parts positioned as shown in Fig. 1, the whipstock being supported by the engagement of the head under-surface 28 with the top of the striking element IT. The whipstock may be set and offset drilling carried on in the usual manner, after which the pipe string may be elevated to engage surfaces 21 and 28 to pull the whipstock from the well. Should the whipstock have become so tightly lodged as to interfere with its ready removability, the device I6 may be operated to simultaneously pull and vibrate the whipstock from its lodged condition. Upon rotation of the pipe string, the striking sleeve I1 is cammed downward by the relative rotation of projections 30 on the sleeve and whipstock head, and as the engaging projections pass their crests, releasing the striking element for upward movement, spring 2| operates to impact surface 21 against the whipstock head. Using the form of projections 30 shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the drill string may be rotated in either direction, Where the projections consist of angularly formed teeth as in Fig. 6, relative movement of the teeth to produce the described vibratory effect, can occur only by clockwise or right-hand rotation of the drill string. As will be apparent, the frequency of the vibrations depends upon the rate of drill string rotation. The intensity of the vibratory blows or impacts against the whipstock may be varied in accordance with the upward pull exerted on the drill string, and therefore the state of compression of spring 2|. Normally it is preferred to operate with the spring under predetermined maximum compression, maintained by raising the sub l8 to the point of engagement between shoulder 34 and the lower end 35 of the striking element.

Reference heretofore has been made to the possible desirability, in some instances, of employing the described vibrating head assembly in conjunction with a whipstock, the body of which has collapsible characteristics to facilitate its extraction from lodged condition in the formation. The whipstock body structure shown in Fig. -1 may be taken as typical of the more complete and varied showings of transversely contractible whipstocks appearing in my copending application identified in the introduction. The body of the whipstock may be regarded as comprising a main section Illa formed integrally with the head I3, and a relatively vertically movable section Illb, the two sections being in interengagement along inclined or wedge surfaces 36. Section lob normally is held in the position illustrated and against shoulder 38, by a shear pin 31, and is provided with a dovetail spline or key 39 slidable within an undercut way 40 formed in the adjacent face of section Illa to guide the sections in their relative movement and maintain them in engagement along surfaces 36. Upon release of the two sections for relative longitudinal movement, they are held in engagement along surfaces 36 by a suitable key, such as a pin 4|, inserted through slots 42 and 43, and threaded at 44 into section Illa. As illustrated, the flanged head 41a of the pin bears against and is slidable longitudinally on shoulder 45 between slots 42 and 43.

While being lowered and set within the well, the whipstock may be releasably held against rotation about the pipe string by suitable means such as a spot weld W or shear pin S adapted to be severed by lowering the drill pipe. Slot 42 may be closed by a plate 42l welded in place to prevent entry of solids that might interfere with movement of pin 4|. In the event the body H] has become lodged in the formation after whipstock drilling, pin 31 may be sheared by an upward pull on the pipe string, causing section Illa to move upwardly relative to section Hlb, thereby laterally contracting or collapsing the body to facilitate its withdrawal from the formation. As section Illa is raised, pin 4| comes into engagement with the upper ends of slots 42 and 43 to then cause the two sections 10a and I0b to be withdrawn together.

If for any reason the body sections Illa and 1b are not freely releasable for relative movement as described, the vibrating device I6 may be employed to supplement the upward pull on the drill string to cause contraction of the body It. Then, should the whipstock tend to remain lodged in the formation, its Withdrawal likewise may be facilitated by operation of the vibrating device.

I claim:

1. The combination comprising a whipstock having a tubular head and adapted to be carried by a pipe string extending through said head, a tubular striking member movable vertically relative to the pipe string below said head, and yielding means urging said member against the head, said member being operable by rotation of the pipe string to impart a rapid succession of vibratory blows directed upwardly against the under surface of said head.

2. The combination comprising a whipstock having a tubular head and adapted to be carried by a pipe string extending through said head, the under surface of said head having a circular series of spaced irregularities, a tubular striking member movable vertically relative to the pipe string below said head and having on its upper end irregularities corresponding to those on the under surface of the head, means preventing rotation of said member about the pipe string, and a spring urging said irregularities on the head and striking member into engagement, said member being operable by rotation of the pipe string to impart a rapid succession of vibratory blows directed upwardly against the head.

3. The combination comprising a whipstock having a, tubular head and adapted to be carried by a pipe string extending through said head, the under surface of said head having a circular series of spaced irregularities, a tubular striking member movable vertically on the pipe string below said head and having on its upper end irregularities corresponding to those on the under surface of the head, means preventing rotation of said member about the pipe string, and a spring concealed within a counter bore in said member and urging said irregularities on the head and striking member into engagement, said member being operable by rotation of the pipe string to impart a rapid succession of vibratory blows directed upwardly against the head.

4. The combination comprising a whipstock having a tubular-head, a tubular sub extending through said head and having its upper and lower ends connected to a pipe string and drill bit, respectively, the under surface of said head having a circular series of uniformly spaced irregularities, a tubular striking member movable vertically on said sub below said head and having on its upper end irregularities corresponding to those on the under surface of the head, means preventing rotation of said member about the sub, a shoulder on the sub, and a spring confined between said member and the shoulder and urging said irregularities on the head and striking member into engagement, said member being operable by rotation of the pipe string to impart a rapid succession of vibratory blows directed upwardly against the head. I

5. The combination comprising a whipstock having a tubular head, a tubular sub extending through said head and having its upper and lower ends connected to a pipe string and drill bit, respectively, the under surface of said head having a circular series of uniformly spaced irregularities, a tubular striking member movable vertically on said sub below said head and having on its upper end irregularities corresponding to those on the under surface of the head, means preventing rotation of said member about the sub, a shoulder on the sub and overlapped at the outside by a depending skirt portion of the striking member. and a spring confined between said member and the shoulder and concealed within a counter bore in the member, said spring urging said irregularities on the head and striking member into engagement, and said member being operable by rotation of the pipe string to impart a rapid succession of vibratory blows directed upwardly against the head.

JOHN E. BRANTLY. 

